In what is set to be the game of the round, the two form teams of the competition, Nightcliff and Tiwi, do battle on Saturday to open this weekend’s proceedings. With both sides on win streaks and competition for finals spots heating up, this bout between two attacking powerhouses is set to produce fireworks. The Tigers have regained their rhythm after going down to Southern Districts in Round 6, winning their last two games to sit four points outside of first place. Meanwhile, the Bombers have now won three on the trot after opening their account in the same round, including wins over fellow finals hopefuls Darwin and Waratah. There is class around the ground for Nightcliff, with the recent addition of former Port forward John Butcher proving handy, adding to the consistent danger of Trent Melville, Mathew Bricknell and Joel Budarick going forward. Speedster Liam Holt-Fitz should also be a feature, providing run from the back half. For Tiwi, Adam Tipungwuti and Jason Puruntatameri have been ever-reliable, but they’ll look towards the likes of Dion Munkara, Ross Tungatalum, and youngster Jeffrey Simon to provide the firepower to match Nightcliff. With finals repercussions set to come from a result either way, expect both sides to throw the it all on the line to grab an important four points. If the shootout in their previous encounter is anything to go by, this will be a high-scoring affair.

WANDERERS v. WARATAHRound 9 – Saturday December 1, 5:00pmTIO Stadium

Wanderers will be looking to claim consecutive wins when it comes up against finals hopefuls, Waratah in Saturday’s evening fixture. The Eagles are fresh off a stunning upset victory over Darwin, and despite remaining bottom of the ladder, are only a win off being tied for fifth. Waratah was brought back down to earth after their own upset win over Southern Districts in Round 7, going down to a surging Tiwi outfit in a close one. It’s an important game for the Warriors in particular, as results could see them fall right back into the pack after holding on to fourth place for most of the year. For the Eagles, a run of form is within reach and they could soon scrape off the bottom if things go their way. Joel Jeffrey was the key man last time out, but Wanderers may be without him for this one, leaving it up to the form of Davin Ferreira and Thomas Motlop to find goals. Ex-Roo and Crow Sam Gibson‘s recent cameo has come to an end, but the Eagles will hope that Liam Patrick can have a good run at it up forward after returning to the side. On the other side of the coin, Waratah’s Tom Toma found form of late and will look to have an impact alongside Jaxon Neagle and Cameron Barrett going forward, supported by Timothy Mosquito and Nick Gooch further back. With a bottleneck forming from third to eighth, this will be a key game in the grand scheme of things despite it not looking like a thriller on paper.

The final game in Saturday’s TIO Stadium triple-header pits two sides coming off losses against each other, with Darwin and St Marys looking to re-enter the winners list. The Buffaloes have now suffered consecutive surprise defeats after going down to bottom side, Wanderers last time out, and could slide heavily with a loss hear. On the other hand, the Saints were beaten by a Southern Districts side breathing fire after a loss, but can still jump into a finals spot if they get over the line here. With young gun Malcolm Rosas out of the side, Jed and Javadd Anderson have stepped right up in his absence and will be key figures alongside the returning Adam Sambono. The leadership of Matthew Campbell has also been important of late, and that is an aspect that St Marys has missed with Raph Clarke missing. The Saints’ firepower is still there though, with Brayden and Ben Rioli constantly shining alongside Nathaniel Paredes. They will also hope that young Maurice Rioli jnr can strut his stuff this time out in an effort to compete with the Buffaloes’ forward threat. Darwin will inevitably come out hard, looking to prove a point as it looks to break away from the mid-table pack once again. St Marys will provide stiff competition despite being hard to read, but it is a good opportunity to the Saints to get up over a usually strong side.

Southern Districts will hope to extend its lead atop of the NTFL ladder when it clashes with Palmerston to close out the round. The Crocs bounced back well from their Round 7 loss with a convincing win over St Marys in their last bout, putting their usual scary form on show once again. Palmerston have been a touch more inconsistent, suffering two straight losses after finding consecutive wins. The last fixture between the two was a landslide victory for Southern Districts, but the Magpies will be confident of competing much better having settled into the season. Michael Mummery was fantastic in Round 8 with four goals, but Shane Thorne has undoubtedly been the Crocs’ form player alongside the likes of Dean Staunton and recent inclusion, Seb Guilhaus from the ruck. The injection of AFL experience in the form of Jared Brennan, Richard Tambling and Leroy Jetta makes them an even scarier prospect for the Magpies, who will look to their own AFL stars in the Davey brothers to add some class. Kyle Emery will provide the goals up forward, with Matthew Dennis shouldering ruck duties, and Rodney Baird and Nigel Lockyer jnr providing cool heads up the field. Another one-sided affair looks likely on paper given Southern Districts’ recent inclusions, but Palmerston always pose a threat with the injections of class they have on each line.

ROUND 8 action has seen the race finals race blown wide open, with just four points separating third from seventh. The mid-table bottleneck sees the top two break away, Wanderers has been left on the bottom despite a huge upset win.

A lightning start from Nightcliff was enough to see them over the line against a rejuvenated Palmerston line-up by 19 points in the Round 8 opener. The Tigers stormed out of the blocks with 6.6 in the opening term while keeping the Magpies goalless, showcasing their near-unstoppable firepower forward of centre. In good form coming into the fixture, Palmerston duly hit back in the second and third terms but were somewhat wasteful, with their 6.10 over the two quarters still leaving them with a 14-point deficit to claw back. Nightcliff proved too strong though, continuing to tick the scoreboard over in the face of Palmerston’s onslaught and earning the four points despite registering one less scoring shot.

The usual suspects were again amongst the goals for the winners, with Trent Melville snaring his second bag of four in as many weeks, while Shaun Wilson and Mathew Bricknell were the other two multiple goalkickers with three and two respectively. Faron James was named their best, with Nathan Brown again amongst the votes and Cam Ilett and Liam Holt-Fitz dangerous going forward. Kyle Emery was a shining light up forward with three majors, but missed out on best-six honours. Samuel Talbot continued his good form to be judged their best, while ex-AFL star Mathew Stokes was thereabouts alongside the ever consistent figures of Matthew Dennis and Nigel Lockyer jnr.

The win sees Nightcliff strengthen its position in the top two, only one game off league-leaders Southern Districts. Meanwhile, the Magpie’s second-straight loss drops them to second bottom on percentage, but equal fifth with two other sides on three wins.

Tiwi Bombers secured its third consecutive victory with a hard-fought 19-point win over Waratah in front of an adoring home crowd. The in form team of the competition, Tiwi maintained a consistent lead throughout the game despite a third quarter test where the margin came to within just over a goal. Having handed Southern Districts its first loss for the year in Round 7, Waratah were unlucky to come up against just as fierce opposition for a second-straight week, but brought it right to the Bombers for the entire contest.

Ross Tungatalum was amongst the goals for Tiwi, joining the in-form Dion Munkara with a bag of three to be named amongst the best as the only two multiple goalkickers. Christian Burgess was judged best afield in his first appearance for the season, with Jason Puruntatameri, Jack Monigatti and Michael Dunn also continuing their consistent form to feature in the votes. For the Warriors, Thomas Toma was their key goalkicker with three, while Andre Ellis was the only other to boot multiple majors. Amongst the goals again were also the likes of Jaxon Neagle, Cameron Barrett and Timothy Mosquito, providing spark and pace forward of centre in the absence of last week’s heroes Michael Newton and Abraham Ankers.

The Bombers’ run of form puts them into equal-fifth, just one game away from this week’s opponents and with a five per cent buffer on sixth place. Waratah hang on to fourth position to remain firmly within the finals race, but will now be sweating on good results coming its way with three contenders breathing down its neck.

St Marys again failed to earn consecutive wins, falling to a resurgent Southern Districts side keen to prove last week’s shock loss was a mere one-off. It was a slow start, with both sides failing to find the big sticks in the opening term, while the Crocs eventually broke away with three goals to nil in the second quarter to open up a 23-point lead on their goalless opponents. The Saints finally broke their goal drought in the third with two of their own, but couldn’t stop Southern Districts from piling on eight second-half goals to run out comfortable 47-point winners.

Michael Mummery was the star for the Crocs, booting four majors after firing a blank in the previous week. Despite his haul, Mummery missed out on a best slot to the likes of Shane Thorne, who slotted two goals, recent addition Sebastion Guilhaus, and the ever-reliable Dean Staunton. Ben Rioli continues to provide a shining light for the Saints, this week claiming half of his side’s goals – albeit in a low total. Simon Richardson was judged best in the losing side, with Mitch Musgrove finding some form and Braxton Ah Mat putting in another shift alongside Tylah Saunders.

The win sees Southern Districts bounce back from its first loss of the season, maintaining a four-point lead over Nightcliff atop the table with an intimidating percentage of 175. Meanwhile, St Marys find themselves lodged between Tiwi and Palmerston in sixth as one of the three sides with three wins for season 2019.

Wanderers pulled off the upset of the round with a defiant 10-point win over third-placed Darwin. The Eagles came out firing with 10 goals to three in the first half setting the base for an impressive victory. The four points wouldn’t come without a challenge though, as the proud Buffaloes side fought back with eight goals to three in the second half, but fell just short of the Eagles’ established margin. Having been beaten resoundingly by Tiwi in the previous round, Darwin look to be in the midst of a surprising mid-season slump.

Sixteen year-old star Joel Jeffrey was outstanding, with his four goals earning him best afield honours. Thomas Motlop and Jobastin Priest were the other multiple goalkickers with two each, while Davin Ferreira produced a play of the round contender with one of his two majors. Ex-Roo and Crow Sam Gibson didn’t manage to hit the scoreboard, but was also named amongst the best alongside Joel Cubillo for Wanderers. Darwin’s best in the loss was Joe Anderson, while Javadd Anderson and Chris Williams both managed to claim bags of three goals to also be thereabouts.

While they picked up a huge result here, the Eagles remain stuck to the bottom of the ladder – one game behind Palmerston, St Marys and Tiwi. Darwin’s second consecutive loss puts them back in the pack somewhat, equal-third with Palmerston and just a game off dropping out of the top four despite their impressive percentage.

ROUND 7 produced a series of smashings, with three of the four fixtures resulting in margins of over 44 points. In the round’s one outlier, this year’s clear best side was finally beaten in an impressive upset.

Tiwi claimed its second-straight win with a resounding 44-point upset victory over premiership contenders Darwin to open the Round. After a seven goal to one opening term put Darwin in the clear ascendency, Tiwi produced a remarkable 15 goals to four in the second half to not only bridge the gap, but complete an 81-point turnaround from quarter time. Ross Tungatalum and Kim Kantilla both booted bags of five goals, with Dion Munkara named the Bombers’ best alongside the Puruntatameri’s – Jason and Harley. Buffaloes leader Matthew Campbell was among their best with three goals, with Adam Sambono and Joe Anderson also continuing their string of performances in the bests. Darwin now drop to fourth on percentage, sitting back in the pack a touch, while smoke has brought fire for Tiwi as they edge a game clear of last place as they doubled down on opening their account last round.

Nightcliff broke into clear-second place with a comfortable 11-goal win over cellar dwellars, Wanderers. Trent Melville continues to provide headaches for his opponents up forward, booting four goals while Mathew Bricknell snared three and ex-Port forward John Butcher was one of three players to boot two majors, rounding out the multiple goalkickers. Phillip Wills was named their best, with Simon Deery and Cam Ilett also amongst it. It was another disappointing day for the Eagles, beaten by a side out to prove their credentials and keep pace with Southern Districts. While Wanderers are now a game clear at the bottom, the Tigers will be looking to pounce on more slip-ups in their race for top spot.

St Marys has jumped into the finals places with a key win over now sixth-place Palmerston in Saturday’s final game. A seven goal to three opening half set the base for a lead that the Magpies hardly looked like bridging, as the Saints continually put on multiple goals across each quarter. Kieran Delahunty had a breakout four-goal game, snaring multiples alongside Mathias Liddy (three) and Brayden Rioli (two). Tylah Saunders and Ben Rioli were again judged St Marys’ best, while Mickitja Rotumah-Onus claimed the same honours for Palmerston. In a familiar story, Kyle Emery was their only multiple goalkicker with two, while Matthew Dennis was instrumental alongside Nigel Lockyer jnr. Having jumped the Magpies, the Saints are now only a win off third place, while Palmerston are in danger of again falling into the bottom two after the loss.

Waratah produced the upset of the year in the game of the round, handing Southern Districts its first loss in an efficient showing. While the reigning premiers were wasteful in the final term with 3.7, the Warriors were deserving winners after easily bridging a quarter-time deficit. Ex-Melbourne forward Michael Newton came in and booted six goals to steal the show, while his Warriors teammate Abraham Ankers bagged three to be name their best alongside Nicholas Gooch. Shane Thorne and Bradley Vallance were again instrumental for the Crocs despite the loss, each claiming two majors, but Charlie McAdam was named their best along with Dean Staunton and Sean Martin. The loss doesn’t make a dent in Southern’s lead at the top, despite Nighcliff breathing down their neck, while Waratah move to equal-third and remain a game safe in the finals spots.

WITH only one undefeated team remaining and one side still looking for a win, Round 4 in the Northern Territory Football League (NTFL) could well herald some interesting contests.

TIWI BOMBERS v. NIGHTCLIFF

Round 4 – Saturday October 27, 2pm

Tiwi Oval

Tiwi Bombers will be looking to break its season duck when it faces Nightcliff at Tiwi Oval in the Round 4 opener. It will be no mean feat though, with the Bombers having to back up a tight loss to the reigning premiers with a strong showing against a strong Nightcliff side that will be breathing fire. The Tigers let a four-goal lead slip to Waratah in Round 3, handing them an improbable first defeat which they will be looking to rectify.

The Bombers’ winless run has not come without promise thus far, with two respectable losses and experienced heads seeing them through. The likes of Adam Tipungwuti, ex-Dee Austin Wonnaeamirri and Jason Puruntatameri will look to stand up once again in this game, while key man Dionysuis Munkara will have to continue his goalscoring form if the Bombers are to put up a big enough score. The forward threat of the Tigers is irresistible though, so you can expect the likes of Trent Melville, Mathew Bricknell, and Liam Holt-Fitz to trouble the scorers plenty if the Tigers get on top. Meanwhile, Kaine Riley, Jess Budarick, and TAC Cup graduate James Tsitas should prove to be key factors in the battle further up the ground.

There is certainly plenty on the line for both sides, and it will take a special performance from Tiwi to topple the Tigers if they can roar again.

WARATAH v. WANDERERS

Round 4 – Saturday October 27, 5pm

TIO Stadium

Waratah will be hoping to strengthen their position in the finals race with a win over Wanderers, who are coming off two-straight losses having only beat the bottom side. The Warriors had an outstanding victory last time out as they toppled the Tigers in an impressive last-quarter comeback, making it two consecutive wins after a shock loss to Palmerston in Round 1.

Waratah’s Lachlan Collihole will look to continue his consistent goalscoring form having bagged eight in his three games, with Raven Jollife and Cameron Barrett others who could follow suit and help the Warriors gain ascendency. For Wanderers, look for Marlon Motlop to provide some spark up forward alongside Patrick Fairhead, with exciting youngsters Joel Jeffrey and Tyrell Lui also showing glimpses of form.

There’s two ways of looking at this contest – the first being that it poises the bottom two finals sides against each other, and the second being that it pits the weakest top four side against the strongest bottom four side. Either way, it looks like it could be a tight tussle on paper and should play a key role in shaping the last couple of finals spots.

ST MARYS v. DARWIN BUFFALOES

Round 4 – Saturday October 27, 7:30pm

TIO Stadium

In the second game of Saturday night’s TIO Stadium double-header, St Marys will seek to continue its momentum when they tussle with the tough Darwin Buffaloes outfit. The Buffaloes are back to their best after dropping their opening game to the surging reigning premiers, holding the best percentage in the league thus far from second spot. The Saints possess an opposite form line, but have shown glimpses of promise across their three games which eventually culminated in a win and jump to sixth place.

The stacked Buffaloes lineup features stars on each line, with a particularly dangerous forward half. The likes of Christopher Williams and Adam Sambono hit the scoreboard well last week, while Jarrod Stokes has found himself in the best two of three times with a pair of two-goal hauls and 16 year-old prodigy Malcolm Rosas has been exciting. Unlike Darwin, St Marys has been far from prolific in from of goal, but will be confident of quelling their opposition’s forward threat with the AFL experience of Raphael Clarke down back. Anthony Wilson was best-on in his first game for the year last week, and the likes of Nathaniel Parades and Ben Taylor will hope to make a similar impact given their solid form.

While scoring power is the obvious difference between the sides here, competitiveness is not lost on the mighty St Marys side, so expect them to put up a good fight against the Buffaloes.

SOUTHERN DISTRICTS v. PALMERSTON MAGPIES

Round 4 – Sunday October 28, 4pm

Norbuilt Oval

Sunday’s only fixture pits the irresistible force that is Southern Districts against second-bottom Palmerston Magpies. The Crocs have accounted for each of the three sides they’ve faced to remain as the only undefeated side for the year, but it hasn’t come without challenge. On the other hand, Palmerston face another tough ask having comfortably lost consecutive games to Darwin and Nightcliff after their stirring Round 1 win.

The key men for the Crocs include the likes of Bradley Vallance, who has two bags of three goals, fellow goalkicker William Farrer, and Samuel Smith. They will also hope to welcome ex-Bomber Leroy Jetta back to the fold. For the Magpies, Matthew Dennis will have to stand tall once again if they are to stand any chance, with Clarence Baird and Rodney Baird sure to provide assistance. Former AFL star Alwyn Davey will also hope to nab a goal or two alongside Ezekiel Frank.

It’s hard to ignore Southern Districts’ form, and the Magpies have slumped recently, but there is enough talent in their side to suggest they can put up a fight against the mighty Crocs.

ROUND 3 of the Northern Territory Football League (NTFL) Men’s Premier League saw the competition’s best stamp their authority against persistent opponents, while one side managed a massive come from behind upset on Sunday.

Southern Districts continued its winning ways with a hard-fought 24-point win over Tiwi Bombers in Saturday’s round opener at TIO Stadium. The Bombers were no pushovers, proving pesky as they hung in there and went close to matching it with the reigning premiers in each interval.

Despite managing one more scoring shot in the first term, the Bombers found themselves behind to the Crocs’ 3.1 at the first break. While Southern Districts suffered a dose of the same inefficiency in the following quarter, they matched Tiwi’s three goals to extend their lead to 14 points heading into half-time. The steady lead-building continued after the break too, with the Crocs again booting 3.5, and then another four goals in the final term to graft out the eventual 24-point margin that got them over the line.

Dean Staunton was judged the winners’ best in his standout performance for the year, while Charles McAdam, Brad Vallance, and Will Farrer each booted three goals in a solid collective performance forward of centre. Dylan McLachlan was their only other multiple goal kicker with two, also managing a spot in the bests. For Tiwi, Dionysuis Munkara claimed his second-straight best-on honour with another two goals, while ex-Dee Austin Wonaeamirri, Ross Tungatalum and Adam Tipungwuti each matched his goal haul.

The win sees the Crocs stand alone atop of the ladder as the only remaining undefeated team, with Tiwi showing opposite form as the only winless side.

St Marys snared its first win of the season with a see-sawing 13 point win over Wanderers, putting a slight dampener on Eagles legend Jarred Erlandson’s 150th game celebrations. The Saints were wasteful early in tough conditions, finding the wrong side of the goalposts seven times in the opening term. Meanwhile, Wanderers claimed their only opportunity for the quarter, but still found themselves behind at the first break by the slimmest of margins.

The second term saw the Eagles continue their efficiency in front of goal, with three goals helping them to a four-point lead. The Saints fared better too, with two of their own majors crucially keeping them in touch as the downpour failed to cease. The gap between the sides narrowed into the third as St Marys put on three goals to their opponent’s two to this time find themselves down by a solitary point. It was in the final quarter where the Saints tore the game apart though, with another three goals giving them an unassailable lead, despite a late consolation goal from the Eagles.

Anthony Wilson claimed best afield honours in his first game for the year for St Marys, while Mathias Liddy was also crucial to the win with his four goals making up half of his side’s haul. Ben Taylor was a key feature too with two goals of his own and an appearance in the bests. For Wanderers, Patrick Fairhead was and option up forward and managed to claim two first-half goals, while Marlon Motlop matched his efforts in the second half to give the Eagles a sniff. Gibson Turner also hit the scoreboard and conjured an assist, while youngster Tyrell Lui fared well.

Despite the loss, Wanderers hold onto its finals spot in fifth, with St Marys now matching its one-win tally and sitting just below them.

Darwin Buffaloes notched their second consecutive win, with nine second-half goals helping them account for Palmerston Magpies by 49 points. It was a steady start from the Buffaloes, booting two goals while keeping the Magpies goalless in the opening term. Palmerston hit back in the following quarter though, managing one more score for the interval than their opponents with 2.4 to narrow the lead to 10 points at the main break. The third was another even quarter, but Darwin showed signs of pulling away with their four goals giving them a handy 15-point buffer heading around the final turn. Those signs came to fruition as last year’s runners up showed their class to close out the game with five goals while keeping the Magpies scoreless.

Christopher Williams booted four goals for the winners to be named their best, with young star Adam Sambono slotting three, while Jarrod Stokes and Ishmael Palmer rounded out the multiple goalkickers with two each. Rodney Baird was judged Palmerston’s best, with ruckman Matthew Dennis backing up his good early-season form and Ian Milera claiming two goals to also feature in the bests.

Palmerston’s win in Round 1 sees them escape the unwanted bottom position, but they do hold the competition’s worst percentage with 58.42. Darwin, on the other hand have the best with 166.43, helping them sit second as the best team with two wins to their name.

In arguably the game of the round, Waratah handed Nightcliff their first loss of the season with a rousing come from behind effort seeing them seal an eight point victory. The contest began as an arm-wrestle with Nightcliff bettering the Warriors’ 4.1 by a single point at the first break. The run of the game then headed all in the Tigers’ direction, as they slotted six straight goals to Waratah’s two to hold a 20 point lead at the half. The third quarter saw the sides share 6.2 evenly as the margin remained the same and the result looked destined to go Nightcliff’s way. Incredibly, the Warriors piled on six goals while keeping their opponents goalless to storm home to a memorable win in front of their home crowd.

The Warriors had four players kick two goals each to make up their 10 individual goalkickers, with the likes of Timothy Mosquito and Lachlan Collihole hitting the scoreboard, while Raven Jollife also did so to continue his good form. The goal-spread was a little less even on the Tigers’ side, with Mathew Bricknell backing up a three-goal haul with four majors, while the dangerous Trent Melville booted three and Wade Derksen managed two. James Tsitas was damaging from midfield, while Simon Deery was named his side’s best.

Despite the loss, Nightcliff maintain their spot above the Warriors in third, with both sides holding two wins to sit nicely in the finals spots.

SATURDAY’S TIO Stadium triple-header produced three relatively one-sided results, leaving two sides without a win and seeing last year’s grand finalists bounce back to claim their first win of the year. The theme continued on Sunday too, with last year’s wooden spooners crashing back down to earth after a Round 1 victory.

The first of Saturday’s games saw Waratah improve to 1-1 with a strong 74-point win over the winless Tiwi Bombers. It was a consistent four-quarter effort from Waratah, with four goals to two in each of the first three terms giving them a comfortable 35 point lead going into the final break. They then poured on seven goals to one in a dominant final term to soar to a statement victory.

Lachlan Collihole was named best afield for his five-goal haul, while Raven Jolliffe and Samuel Weddell were also thereabouts with their bags of three. Waratah’s other multiple goalkicker was Sam Godden with two, while the likes of Matthew Blake and Henry Kerinaiua also put in good shifts and hit the scoreboard. For the Bombers, Dionysuis Munkara continued his good start in front of goal with three majors earning him Tiwi’s best-on honours. Norman Pangiraminni was the only other to claim multiple goals, with Harley Puruntatameri also finding his way into the best for the losing side.

The percentage boost sees Waratah sit just below the two undefeated teams in third, while the Bombers sit second-bottom as one of two winless sides.

Southern Districts powered to a 69-point win over St Marys in the round’s second game to cement its spot in the competition’s top two. It was a slightly more comfortable win for the Crocs this time out after their down-to-the-wire Grand Final rematch win last week, with the Saints again struggling to find the goals despite holding a one-point lead at the half. Fifteen goals to three after the main break saw the reigning premiers run away with the result, kicking into gear quickly after a slight scare.

Former Essendon goal-sneak Leroy Jetta snared four goals alongside Shane Thorne, with impressive youngster Michael Mummery booting two of his own and Timothy Brook rounding out the multiple goalkickers with his two majors. The Saints had fewer forward contributors, but the likes of Nathaniel Parades and Nicholas Yarran troubled the scorers while also being named in the best. Kieran Delahunty was also impressive in a losing side along with ex-Saint Raphael Clarke.

The result sees either side make up the top and bottom two respectively, with Southern Districts one of two undefeated sides, while St Marys sit bottom as one of two winless teams.

2018 runners-up Darwin Buffaloes rounded out Saturday’s fixtures with a bounce-back win over Wanderers. It was a steady contest between last year’s second, and second-last teams as Wanderers utilised an end advantage to lead at quarter time. The Buffaloes hit back hard though, with four goals to one in the second term giving them the ascendancy, which they didn’t relinquish before storming home with seven fourth quarter goals to beef up the margin.

Darwin’s Adam Sambono found some of his better form to slot three goals, with his haul matched only by teammate Jackson Clark. Former AFL forward Lindsay Thomas also found the goals with two of his own alongside Steven Anderson and Chris Williams in the dangerous Buffaloes forward line. The Motlops, Shannon and Marlon were both typically busy in for Wanderers in their forward-line with a goal each, while youngster Joel Jeffrey also impressed.

The win sees both sides claim the bottom two finals spots, with Darwin’s far superior percentage of 143.8 granting them fourth place. It was always going to be a tough ask for Wanderers to back up their Round 1 win here, but they’re still placed nicely early in fifth.

Nightcliff stormed to the top of the table with a thumping 85-point win over Palmerston in Sunday’s only fixture. The Tigers stormed out of the blocks, with five goals in each of the opening two terms giving them a 49-point lead heading into half time. While the Magpies somewhat stemmed the flow after the main break, it was more of the same to see out the game as Nightcliff piled on eight-straight majors in the last.

Trent Melville was the star with five goals for the Tigers despite Cameron Ilett being named best-on for his three-goal effort. Mathew Bricknell also booted three majors, while former Geelong Falcon James Tsitas and youngster Liam Holt-Fitz also claimed two each alongside Wade Derksen. Shaun Wilson and Jess Budarick were also among the best for the winners, overcoming the injection of AFL experience in the Palmerston line-up. Ezekiel Frank booted two goals and Alwyn Davey managed one, but it was Bundoora ruck stalwart Matthew Dennis who again claimed best-on honours for the Magpies.

The loss sees Palmerston sit just outside of the finals spots with their win on the board, while Nightcliff maintained their soaring percentage and first place in what was an impressive performance.